Dropping five of their first seven games after the All-Star break, the St. Louis Cardinals’ slow start to the second half has heightened the circumstances now that the team has returned to St. Louis. The homestand began Thursday with a makeup game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, where the Cardinals fell 10-6 and sank back to a 52-50 record. This follows them losing two out of three games to both Arizona and the Los Angeles Angels over the past week.
A seven-game divisional stretch now begins for St. Louis, as they will welcome the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs into town. Despite their slow start following last week’s recess, the Cardinals are still in the thick of the National League Wild Card race, sitting just 1 1/2 games back of the final spot. It makes this stretch against NL Central rivals imperative, as St. Louis hopes to take care of business against the Reds and gain some ground on the Cubs.
Cardinals’ Slow Start to Second Half Makes Next Week Huge
Divisional Foes Bring Different, But Interesting Challenges
The Cubs and Reds will follow different protocols at the trade deadline, with Chicago anticipated to add pitching depth to a battered staff, and Cincinnati expected to retool in the midst of a disappointing season. But no matter what the records say, divisional matchups are usually tough and tightly contested, calling for the Cardinals to play their most complementary baseball over these next seven games.
St. Louis swept the Reds the last time these two teams played at the beginning of June, also at Busch Stadium. Overall, the Cards are 4-1 against Cincinnati in 2026 but will get their first taste of 2026 of hard-throwing starter Hunter Greene on Saturday. Greene recently returned from injury and is coming off back-to-back quality starts where he has racked up 19 strikeouts. Standout hitters Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart are each dangerous cogs in Cincinnati’s lineup, but the Reds’ bullpen is one of the more maligned in the league.
Catch tonight’s game on https://t.co/n6N97Azh1L, @KMOV and @MatrixMidwest! 📺 pic.twitter.com/kKLKGLISaq
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) July 24, 2026
The Cubs will bring one of the sport’s best offenses into Busch, with Pete Crow-Armstrong setting the table as he puts together an MVP-worthy campaign. Chicago ranks third in MLB in on-base percentage (.338) and wRC+ (110). However, St. Louis’ staff has kept the Cubs in check through the first six meetings, as Chicago is averaging just 2.83 runs a game in those matchups. The pitching has powered the Cardinals to take four of the six games played to this point, which will likely need to be repeated for continued fortune in the four-game set starting Monday.
Cold Offense Dates Back a Month
Although St. Louis’ struggles at the plate have been magnified over the last week, the Cardinals have been in an offensive rut for the last month. Since June 22, St. Louis has the worst slugging percentage (.333) in all of baseball. It also ranks third-worst in batting average (.218) and on-base percentage (.285). The Cardinals are tied with the New York Yankees for the second-worst wRC+ (73) in that span as well.
The first face to point to has been Iván Herrera. Even while making his first All-Star team, the 26-year-old has been mired in the worst slump of his big-league career. His OPS on the season has dropped to .739, and during the team’s struggles, Herrera is slashing just .173/.241/.214.
He has remained in the two-hole but received his first off day of the season on Thursday after playing in St. Louis’ first 101 games. Herrera was adamant that fatigue is not factoring into his struggles, so it’ll be interesting to follow if he can sort things back out with the bat.
“I don’t think it’s because I feel tired…I feel really good”
Iván Herrera has played every game this season for the #stlcards…until today. After playing in 101 straight games, it’s a well deserved off day for the catcher/DH.@KMOV | @MatrixMidwest pic.twitter.com/jFhSgR4YUI
— Jacob Cersosimo (@JacobCersosimo) July 23, 2026
The other hitters at the top of the order – JJ Wetherholt, Jordan Walker, and Alec Burleson – have held their own. But the rest of the lineup has not given the competent production it did in the earlier portions of the season. Lars Nootbaar has fallen back down to earth, while Masyn Winn and Nathan Church are also not providing much at the plate. Getting positive offense from the Cardinals’ catchers continues to be a point of contention, and similar inconsistent sentiments can be said about the third base position.
St. Louis isn’t built to be one of the most dangerous offenses in the league, but showcasing solid lineup depth is a must if its goal is to take these next two series.
Bullpen Continues to Leak
When JoJo Romero went down with appendicitis last week, it immediately stressed the Cardinals’ bullpen for a high-leverage lefty arm. With news that Romero isn’t expected back soon, the pressure only builds for a St. Louis ‘pen that is running on fumes.
During Thursday’s loss, the contest was all but over when Arizona scored 10 unanswered runs. But the fashion in which it happened, where relievers Matt Svanson and Gordon Graceffo needed a combined 67 pitches to get the last five outs, illustrates an issue that bodes terribly for a playoff-hopeful squad.
Within the last week, St. Louis blew a 7-0 lead on Sunday to Arizona and relinquished a 2-1 advantage in the ninth inning to the Angels. Cardinals closer and first-time All-Star Riley O’Brien seems to be losing his command and is making each save opportunity an instant stress inducer. Still, St. Louis doesn’t have many other options to shut down ballgames. George Soriano is the next reliable man, but is that a switch the team is comfortable making?
If the Cardinals have a late lead over the next week, there is strong uncertainty about whether the bullpen can finish the job. A glowing moment was when the ‘pen held a 1-0 lead on Wednesday’s win over the Angels, which they should use as a reference when attempting to shut the door at Busch Stadium in this seven-game divisional stretch.
By being so close to a playoff spot despite their recent struggles, there is still time for the Cardinals to prove they are worthy of President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom potentially adding pieces over the next week and a half. But the lineup and bullpen must step up their games in this imperative seven-game divisional stretch for that to be the case.
Main Photo Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
